How have Tipp's hurlers who beat Cork in huge underage games failed to push on?

YOU'D have to wonder how Colm Bonnar feels about being ousted from the Tipperary job one year into a three-year term, to see the Premier destroyed in such a way.

Éamonn Murphy wrote on Sunday evening that Cork had gone to Thurles expecting a shootout against Tipperary, but what happened was an annihilation. In the first half there was a shootout, but that is of exactly no use when Tipperary self-imploded completely in the second half.

We all saw the scenes of Cork fans storming the pitch at FBD Semple Stadium, just like they did in Cork a week previous against Limerick, when Pat Ryan’s men miraculously managed to save their summer.

While their spot in the All-Ireland series is not yet confirmed, they can be very happy with the last two outings. Tipperary, on the other hand, are facing a long road back to the top of the game.

As well as that, they’re facing a lot of questions. First and foremost, how and where did it all go so wrong?

The first half of the game in a swelteringly sunny Thurles was a rip-roaring affair. The national anthem wasn’t even close to finished before the crowd started to clap and yell in support of their team.

There was the smell of a cracker in the air. And for 35 minutes, or so, that is what we got.

The Premier got the dream start with a goal, but Cork quickly tacked on some scores and it went score for score, or thereabouts, until Alan Connolly hit the back of the net for the Leesiders on the stroke of half-time.

It was a comedy of errors from Tipperary from the start of the second half.

The first issue arose when Tipp’s corner-back Cathal Barrett was clearly injured but was left on the field of play. You could almost see the resulting goal coming as soon as it was decided he wouldn’t immediately leave the field of play. By the time he was replaced by Dan McCormack, it was too late.

Heads immediately dropped for Tipperary. It’s something they have very seldom been known to do before this year, but with this group, once the belief falters, the train comes the whole way off the tracks.

LACKING PACE

The leaders didn’t stand up. There were silly balls being pucked from all over the place towards the uprights but not through them. The players were lacking a lot of pace.

For a team who held together so well in the first half, to implode so impressively in the second half is beyond disappointing.

Questions must be asked about the training, the preparation, the mindset and the management.

Liam Cahill was brought in to manage Tipperary two years ago, replacing Colm Bonnar, who was pretty unceremoniously removed from the role after just a year in charge, having been given a three year term.

Cahill was seen as the man to succeed Liam Sheedy the year previous, but he was otherwise engaged in Waterford at the time. But, as soon as he finished there, Tipperary came calling.

He had massive success at the U20 level with Tipperary. Many of the players who play for the senior team now played under him and won plenty too.

However, the success hasn’t translated. There has to be a reason for that. Perhaps the type of training Tipperary are doing isn’t suiting them – though Cahill says they’d prepared well.

He admitted after last Sunday’s game that Tipp would have to go through a rebuilding phase now, which is something that should really have been happening as far back as when Liam Sheedy was in charge of Tipp last.

Cahill also remained steadfast in that he would remain in the role until he was no longer wanted. Given how his appointment was made, it seems unlikely to me that the county board would remove him or admit that perhaps Bonnar should have been allowed to finish out his term before Cahill came on board.

Cork, on the other hand, have managed to rescue their season and await the outcome of this weekend's games to see if they progress to the All-Ireland series. Given the cracking performances they’ve put in over the last couple of weeks, I hope they do.